[Pityriasis rubra pilaris diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties about 9 cases]

The pityriasis rubra pilaris is a quite rare erythematosquarnous dermatosis characterized by a follicular hyperkeratosis with perifollicular erythema Nine cases have been collected at the department of dermatology of Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca over 17 years. The classic type I of the adult has been the most frequent, the classic juvenile form has been noticed in one case. This study emphasizes the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties of this dermatosis

[Prevalence of syphilis and HIV infection in female prisoners in Morocco]

We studied the prevalence of syphilis and HIV infection in 217 female prisoners at Oukacha prison, Casablanca and associated risk factors. The mean age was 32.0 years and mean length of imprisonment 22.8 months. As regards risk factors, 9% of the women said they used condoms, homosexuality was not admitted, 1.8% were intravenous drug users and the average number of sexual partners was 5.17. Fifty-one women [23%] were positive for syphilis and 4 [2%] were HIV-positive. Multivariate analysis found that being married was protective [OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57-0.97], while high number of partners was a positive risk factor [OR = 2, 95% CI: 1.2-3.51]

[Soft tissue alveolar sarcoma: Study of two cases with bones envolvement]

We report two cases of alveolar soft part sarcoma associated with bone involvement. The first case concerned a 61-year old female patient with a left sus-clavicular mass and the second a 67-year old male patient with a tumor of the left hand. The bone involvement, observed on skeletal radiography, was histologically confirmed. Surgery was the treatment in both cases, followed by radiotherapy in one case. Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare soft tissue malignant tumor with a local slowly growing and pejorative prognosis. If metastasis of lung, brain and bone are often present at diagnosis, the local bone involvement is not well documented

Biologic diagnosis of syphilis

The biologic diagnosis of syphilis is based particularly on the syphilitic serology, as the emphasis of the Treponema pallidum by direct examination is difficult. The serological techniques used are various and contain: TPHA, VDRL, FTAABS. Positive TPHA in the blood indicates the diagnosis of treponematosis, but there is no any serology able to distinguish the syphilis from the other non venereal treponematosis. A positive VDRL may be noticed in non syphilitic cases [false positive serology]. So, it is necessary to ask for two tests [TPHA: treponemic, VDRL: non treponemic]. A correct interpretation of the syphilitic serology permits knowing the various stages of the disease and to follow its evoluation. The decrease of the VDRL quantitive titre is the main criteria of the serologic supervision after treatment. Some difficulties of interpretation are met with cases of neurosyphilis and congenital syphilis. The advent of the new techniques as the ELISA and the PCR make their diagnosis easier but they are still expenxive and difficult to realise

Periarteritis nodosa in children [about three cases]

We report here in three cases of periarteritis nodosa in children [7, 13 and 14 year-old]. Fever, polyarthralgia and losse of weight were the main features with cutaneous lesions as nodules, purpura and livedo. Skin lesions were isolated in one case, and associated with digestive involvement in one case and systemic involvement in one. Polyarteritis nodosa in children seems to be related to a benign form with cutaneous and muscular involvement and to a severe form including multiple visceral lesions

Manifestations cutanees de la sarcoidose: problemes diagnostiques

Sarcoidosis is a begnin granulomatous disease of unknown. A etiology it presents with clinical polymorphism justifying of multidisciplinary approach. This study concerning 39 cases of sarcoidosis [34 women, 5 men, mean age 41 years] focuses on diagnosis difficulties in cutaneous lesions. Sarcoids, with small and big nodules [56%] may be confused with syphilids, tuberculids, acne, sometimes with tumidus lupus tuberculosis, leishmaniosis, and with tuberculoid leprae when annular forms exist. Lupus pernio [3%] and angiolupoide form [3%] are more evocative, whereas hypodermic sarcoids are only recognized when histology is done. Erythema nodosa [3%] is not specific of sarcoidosis. Then, extra-cutaneous involvments of sarcoidosis help to diagnosis. In this series, respiratory involvment [75%] takes the first place followed by peripheric adenopathy involvment [23%]. Cutaneous biopsy shows the tuberculoid granuloma, which is not specific of sarcoidosis. Therefore, search of biologic and immunologic criteria is essential to comfort the diagnosis of sarcoidosis